Georges Joseph HUBERT

On May 27, 2023, George passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by loved ones. He was predeceased by his parents, Telesphore and Rose, brother John and two infant brothers. He will be sadly missed by his wife, Freda; sons Gordon (Amanda), Justin (Ashley), and Dennis (Jaime) and grandchildren Charlie, Casey, Jackson, Lacey, and Daphne; brother Paul, sisters Rita & May and many other family, friends, and community members.  

On November 2, 1955, George was born in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, with two holes in his heart. He spent the first few months of his life in the hospital before he was greeted at home by his three older siblings. Eleven months later, George welcomed his younger brother and lifelong best friend. The family lived on a farm for George’s first few years before moving to nearby Lisieux, SK, due to his father’s declining health. George lost his father to MS in 1967 when Rose moved with George & Paul to Coquitlam to live with family. 

At 15, George dropped out of school, left home, and moved back to Lisieux, SK, where he lived in a one-room shack on his brother’s property and worked as a farm hand for the next few years. During this time, he first met the love of his life, Freda, in late 1971. Freda lived in nearby Rockglen. George visited their house with his friend, Leo, who was dating Freda’s sister then. Hard to believe, but George was very shy, so Leo made George a bet; he would give George $5 and pay for the date if George asked Freda out. George couldn’t resist a good deal and asked Freda out. She agreed; he made $5 and paid for it ever since.  

1973 an opportunity arose at a nickel mine in Thompson, MB. The money was good, so George gave it a shot but, after six months, decided it was too much, even for George. Freda had since moved to Moose Jaw with family, so that’s where he went next. While there, George thought he might like to apprentice as a mechanic and attended school to upgrade.  

Meanwhile, his mother had moved to Tofino with her 2nd husband; there was plenty of work, and the pay was better than he could get in Saskatchewan, so he changed paths again and moved to Tofino for the first time in 1974. George found work at the Tofino Fish Plant and stayed until it went bankrupt in late 1975. George returned to Freda in Moose Jaw until early 1976, when the Canadian Fishing Company opened in Tofino and offered George a job. So, he returned to Tofino, this time with Freda and a ½ ton Ford pickup truck filled with everything they owned.  

George & Freda returned to Moose Jaw to be married amongst family & friends, in January of 1977, precisely five years after their first date. They moved into their Neill Street home in March of 1979, where they raised their three boys and lived for the next 44 years. To allow Freda to stay home with the boys, George started the first of many side hustles, including running a landscaping company and various odd jobs in construction, mechanics, and heavy equipment operations. In 1984, George began working for the District of Tofino, where he stayed for 36 years.  

George was a passionate volunteer, his most memorable position being with the Tofino Volunteer Fire Department, where he dedicated 35 years and received the Firefighter of the Year award three times. He was a friend and mentor to many young firefighters, including his son, Gordon, who spent ten years in the department with his dad. George also dedicated many years to the local Co-op board of directors and supporting the Pacific Rim Fish & Game Club.  

George was a keen hunter and loved his annual hunting trips with friends. He loved the outdoors, camping and going for ATV rides. More than anything, George loved his family and was overjoyed to welcome his first grandchild in 2005, followed by four more in 2008, 2011, 2020 and 2022.  

George will be remembered fondly for his wealth of knowledge, big heart, and stories. He loved to laugh and to make people laugh - he was full of fun with an infectious sense of humour. He was always happy to help anyone in need, and many people needed his help, but it never mattered to George whether you were a friend or a stranger. He was a jack of all trades, could operate machinery like a pro, and designed and built trailers as a hobby. He seemed to do it all, and you just knew if it was broken, George could fix it and would be glad to help.    

A Celebration of Life will be held in George's honour at the Tofino Community Hall on Arnet Road in Tofino on Saturday, September 16, 2023 at 1:00 PM.